Lysine Assay Kit (Fluorometric)

Lysine is one of the 20 naturally-occuring proteogenic amino acids and an essential dietary amino acid. In addition to its indispensable nutritional role, lysine is a critical component of the fibrous connective tissue proteins such as collagen and elastin. Lysine residues in fibril proteins are subjected to post-translational oxidation, forming reactive aldehydes that crosslinks adjacent polypeptide strands. Post-translational methylation and acetylation of the ε-amino moiety in histone lysine residues is a primary mechanism of epigenetic transcriptional regulation. Lysine is also required for the synthesis of carnitine, which assists in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Dietary lysine deficiency, frequent in impoverished populations with limited access to high-quality protein sources, results in anemia and the suppression of growth and immune function. Additionally, lysine deficiency severely impairs the ability to cope with stress-induced anxiety or recovery from injuries. BioVision’s Lysine Assay Kit allows the highly sensitive quantification of L-lysine levels in various biological samples. The assay is based on the selective enzymatic metabolism of lysine, yielding an oxidized intermediate which reacts with a fluorogenic probe to form a stable fluorophore (Ex/Em = 538/587 nm). The assay is not affected by the physiological concentration of other amino acids and is high-throughput adaptable. The kit can detect less than 5 μM Lysine in samples.